1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to barbecue-type cooking apparatus and the like; and, more particularly, to an improved recyclable grid element formed of aluminum--preferably extruded, and preferably having a non-stick coating applied thereto--which grid element can be used in both domestic and institutional cooking equipment, including, but not limited to, barbecues which may be heated by means of a gas burner such as a propane burner, charcoal briquettes, electrical heating elements, and the like. More specifically, the grid element of the present invention is characterized by its efficiency and economy enabling effective heat transfer using minimal fuel sources while insuring that the heat levels to which the grid element is subjected can be maintained below 800.degree. F., thereby permitting the use of commercially available non-stick coatings which tend to be destroyed at temperature levels in excess of 800.degree. F. The grid element of the present invention eliminates the need to employ lava rock and similar briquettes and their requisite support grate.
2. Background Art
The trend towards the usage of barbecues, both indoor and outdoor barbecues by both domestic and industrial consumers, has been rapidly growing in recent years. Such barbecues have been heated in a variety of ways. Initially, most of the barbecues employed charcoal briquettes; but, the usage of such briquettes is messy and time consuming, requiring constant replenishment of the fuel source; and, the resultant heating quality is unreliable. Consequently, propane and similar gas-fired cooking equipment, as well as electrically heated cooking equipment, which simulate charcoal fired barbecues have become very popular in the past decade or so. It has been found that the heat capacity of such units can be controlled, and the equipment heats up quickly; although, many of such units require the use of lava rock and/or similar simulated charcoal briquettes.
Such conventional cooking apparatus commonly employs a rectangular, hollow, shell-like tub, trough or housing within which a suitable heat source--e.g., a gas-fired burner element or an electric burner element--is mounted. The typical conventional barbecue unit will commonly employ a lid which is complemental to the shell-like housing and is shaped somewhat like an inverted tub, such lid being hingedly coupled to the shell-like housing within which the burner element is mounted. A porous metal grate, which usually extends across the length and width of the lower shell-like housing, is commonly mounted above the burner element in the base of the lower shell, generally about one-half (1/2) to two-thirds (2/3) the way from the bottom of the lower shell, such grate serving to support a layer of lava rock, pebbles, stones, or briquettes. Mounted above the layer of lava rock or the like and adjacent the top surface of the lower shell is a grid-like element which is usually constructed of a number of wires arranged in a grid-like pattern. Alternatively, some such grid elements comprise a rectangular frame including a plurality of laterally spaced, parallel, rounded, porcelainized supports spaced by longitudinally extending slots. The meat or other food (such as vegetables) to be cooked is placed on the grid element and is cooked by a combination of radiant and convection heat generated by the underlying layer of lava rock which is, in turn, heated from below by heat generated by burning propane or other gas, or by a suitable electric heater located in the belly of the lower shell.
The problems with these conventional arrangements are that the units are generally quite heavy and not very portable because the lava rocks or other briquettes tend to shift when the unit is tipped and are susceptible to flaming when hot fat from the meat on the grid element drips onto the hot lava rock or similar briquettes and ignites. Such flames usually unappetizingly char the meat if allowed to proceed. Consequently, the operator is usually required to constantly monitor the food while it is cooking and to extinguish such flames with a water spray from a spray bottle.
A number of issued patents disclose various designs of gas-fired cooking equipment and barbecues that are more or less relevant to this general area of technology.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,429--Williams discloses a cooking grid for a barbecue grill which has a grid portion for cooking steaks and a griddle portion for cooking hamburger patties and other small food products. The cooking grid is a cast metal member with the grid and griddle portions integrally formed therein. The grid portion has large rectangular openings and is highly porous. The griddle portion consists of a section of support metal containing a plurality of smaller apertures, preferably circular, and having a lower porosity. The Williams cooking grid is not designed to replace lava rock, charcoal briquettes or the like and their requisite support grates.
The inventor of the present invention has previously been granted U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,948. This patent discloses a portable cooking apparatus comprising a housing having two cooking sections hinged together along a respective sidewall whereby the sections may be disposed side-by-side with their open ends facing upwardly and displaceable to be juxtaposed with their open ends facing one another. Each section has a bottom wall, opposed sidewalls, and opposed end walls. One of the cooking sections has a heat generating element secured therein beneath a heat transmitting support frame. The other concave section has a gas burner assembly supportable on the bottom wall thereof below a further heat transmitting support frame. The assembly has an open top end pan with a gas burner element disposed substantially centrally therein. A flame shield is disposed over the burner. A secondary heat deflection support plate maintains the pan spaced from the bottom wall, sidewall and end walls. The pan is also ventilated by vent openings provided in the side and end walls of the cooking section. This cooking device does not include a single grid which replaces the lava rock, charcoal briquettes and the like and their requisite support grate.